Napkin holder



E. A. HAVELES NAPKIN HOLDER July 4, 1933.

Filed May 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l w 1 Hum IHIIMIIIE MIIHITHM INVENTOR BYEl/ANGEL A-fiAl/alfs ATTOR N EY July 4, 1933. i 5 v g 1,916,615

NAPKIN HOLDER Filed y 21, 19

NVENTO EVANGEL Ali/wa ORNEY Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED STATES EVANGEL A. HAVELES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA NAPKIN Application filed May 21,

My present invention relates to holders for holding and individually dispensing napkins or the like.

The objects of this invention are: first,

5 to provide a holder of this class which is relatively small of size but which has relatively large capacity for holdingnapkins or the like; second, to provide a device of this class whereby the napkins, or other similar articles to be dispensed, are substantially wholly enclosed within the holder and which are accessible only from a narrow transverse opening at one end of one of the side walls of the holder, thus keeping the napkins. substantially covered and sanitary at all times; third, to provide a device of this class in which the portions of the napkins, or other similar articles, opposite the opening .in the holder are projected outwardly through the dispensing opening at a slight angle so as to facilitate their removal from the device and also to facilitate the removal ofindividual napkins or the like from the device; fourth, to provide a device of this class in'which the napkins, or other similar articles, are contained in a rack which is adapted to be withdrawn from one open side of the main casing for refilling the device easily and quickly; fifth, to provide such a device in which the rack for supporting the napkins or the like forms the enclosing wall for the open side of the casing; sixth, to provide novel and simple means for retaining the removable rack in position within or relative to the casing;-seventh, to provide a novelly constructed rack for containing or supporting the napkins or the like either within the enclosing casing or when the rack is removed from the casing for refilling pur- 0 poses; eighth, to provide novel means for urging the napkins or the like toward the dispensing opening of the casing and for directing a portion of the outermost napkin, or other article, slightly through the opening to facilitate the removal of the napkin, or other article; and, ninth, to provide a holder of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, durable and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in View, as

HOLDER 1930. Serial No. 454,297.

will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a restaurant service device having in connection therewith a napkin holder incorporating my invention in one form; Fig. 2 is a partial plan and partial sectional view thereof taken at 22 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is .a fragmentary sectional elevational view thereof taken through 33 of Fig. 2 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view thereof 7 taken through 4.-4: of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the interior portion or rack of my device for holding the napkins.

Like characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the views of the drawings.

The device shown in the drawings is a combination device consisting in this instance of a restaurant check holding portion A, a napkin holding and dispensing portion B, and a tray C. The check holding portion A, which for the purposes herein'may be of any desired 0 construction, and the napkin holding portion B are enclosed, in this instance, in a casing which consists for the most part of a casing member 1 of greater length than height. The check holding portion and the napkin holding portion are positioned side by side within this casing. The bottom of the enclosing casing consists in this instance of a casing member 2 to which the front andrback sides of the casing member 1 are secured, as

shown in Fig. 4. This casing or bottom mem- 7 her 2 extends beyond the front side or wall 1a of the casing member 1 and forms the tray C. This tray is provided in front of the wall 1a and at the middle portion thereof with a relatively large depression 2a and at the opposite sides thereof with smaller de pressions 2b and 20 for receiving and holding in place, respectively, a sugar bowl and salt and pepper shakers.

The end or side of the casing member 1 opposite the end at which the checking holding portion A is located, is open, as indicated by 15 in Figs. 2 and 3. Into the casing member l, and through the open end or side 1?) thereof, is inserted a napkin carrying rack or frame 3 which extends a considerable distance inwardly into the casing member 1 from the open side thereof. This rack or frame is U-shaped consisting of wide legs 36 and 3b and a connecting portion 30 connecting the lower ends of the legs. The legs and the connecting portion of the rack are of channel shaped cross section with the respective flanges 3d, 30 and 3; thereof extending inwardly toward the middle or open portion of the rack, as shown best in Figs. 2 and 3. The leg 3a of the rack or frame extends across the open side of the casing member 1 and forms a closuretherefor, as shown best in Fig. 2, the flanges 3d of this leg being positioned on the outer sides of the front and back walls of the casing member 1 and at the edges thereof adjacent the opening or open side. The rack is held in position within the casing member 1 by lugs 39 which extend inwardly from the flanges 3d into recesses 10 in the front and back walls of the casing member 1, as shown best in Fig. 2. In order to remove the rack from the enclosing casing, the front and back walls of the casing member 1 are pressed together with the fingers which permits the rack to be drawn outwardly through the open side of the casing.

The napkins, designated D, are folded to the desirable size, stacked one behind the other, and placed in this manner within the rack transversely between the upright legs of the rack and behind the flanges 3d, 30 and 3f at the front portion of the rack, as shown in Figs. 2 and 41.

In the upper portion of the front wall 1a of the casing member 1, that is, at the upper end of the front wall in front of the napkin holding portion B, is a narrow transverse napkin dispensing opening 1d which is placed opposite the upper ends of the folded napkins so that the napkins may be drawn therethrough. The top wall 10 of the cas ng member 1 extends substantially flush with the front wall 1a so as to protect the napkins to a great extent and to prevent them from becoming soiled from foodstuff dropping thereon from above. The opening 1d is also very narrow so to keep the napkins sani tary.

The means for urging the folded napkins D toward the front wall of the casing and the opening 1d therein, consists of a plate 4, a spring 5 and a transverse bar 6. The plate 4 is of substantially the width of the folded napkins and is preferably fixedly located. at its lower edge near the rear portion of the connecting portion 30 of the rack, so that the plate 4 may tilt back and forth about its lower edge, and so that the upper edge thereof may force the upper portions of the folded napkins toward the front wall of the casing and the upper portions of the napkins slightly through the dispensing opening 1d. The spring 5 is a light or thin leaf spring which is secured at its lower end to the back side of the plate 1 and extends upwardly and backwardly at an angle with respect to the plate 1. To the upper end of the spring 5 is secured the transverse bar 6 which extends toward the legs of the rack 3 and engages at one end the flange 36 at the back portion of the rack, and at itsother end the inner side of the back wall of the casing member 1. Thus the upper portion of the plate 4 is normalv urged toward the front portion of the device. It will be here noted that the memher 4- mav not necessaril be a late but ma 7 .V V P y be merely a frame.

The upper end of the leg 3a of the rack is turned inwardly and then downwardly, as ndicated by 37L, so as to space the'folded napkins from the leg 3a and to bring the same opposite the opening 1d, it being noted that the end of the opening 1d adjacent the open side I7) is slightly spaced from said open side, as shown in Fig. 1. V r

Though I have shown and described a parangement of parts and portions of my de vice in a combination restaurant service device and a particular application of my device for holding and dispensing napkins, I do not wish to be limited to thisparticular construction, combinationand arrangement, nor to the particular application of my device, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims. 1

Having thus described myiinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

' 1. In a device of the class described, a cas- I ing having a large opening at one vertical side, a narrow dispensing opening at the upper portion of its front side, and a cover embracing the entire upper end of said casing and a rack, adapted to contain vertically arranged napkins or the like, mounted within the casing'and adapted to be withdrawn from the open side of the casing for refilling the rack, the one edge of the napkins or the like being positionedopposite the narrow opening the front side of the casing for removing the front napkin or the like through said opening. r

2. In a device of the class described, a casing having a large opening at one vertical side, a narrow dispensing opening at the up per portion of its front side, and a rack, adapted to contain vertically arranged napkins or the like, slidably mounted within the casing and adapted to be removed from the ticular construction, combination and arcasing through said open vertical side for refilling the rack, the one edge of the napkins or the like being positioned opposite the narrow opening at the front side of the casing for removing the front napkin or the like through said opening.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing having an open side, a U-shaped rack for containing napkins and the like slidably mounted in the casing through the open side thereof, one of the legs of the rack forming a closure for the open side of the casing, said casing having an opening at one side across the casing and opposite the open portion between the legs of the U-shaped rack through which opening the napkins or the like in the rack may be withdrawn, a plate carried by the rack and extending transversely between the legs of the rack and adapted to be positioned behind the napkins or the like placed therein, and a light leaf spring secured to the back side of the plate and extending upwardly at an angle backwardly therefrom and provided at its upper end with a transverse member engaging at its ends the rear portions of the legs of the rack.

4;. In a device of the class described, a casing open at one side and also provided at another side of the casing with a transverse dispensing opening, and a U-shaped' rack slidably mounted in the casing through the open side thereof, one leg of the rack normally closing said open side, the transverse cross sections of the legs and the connecting portion of said legs being channel shaped with the flanges thereof extending toward the open middle portion of the rack, said rack being adapted to receive napkins or the like between the legs and the connecting portion of the legs, said napkins or the like being adapted to be retained in the rack by the flanges at the forward side thereof and adapted to be withdrawn from the rack through the dispensing opening of the casing.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing open at one side and also provided at another side of the casing with a transverse dispensing opening, and a U-shaped rack slidably mounted in the casing through the open side thereof, one le of the rack normally closing said open si e, the transverse cross sections of the legs and the connecting portion of said legs being channel shaped with the flanges thereof extending toward the open middle portion of the rack, said rack being adapted to receive napkins or the like between the legs and the connecting portion of the legs, said napkins or the like being adapted to be retained in the rack by the flanges at the forward side adapted to be withdrawn from the rack through the dispensing opening of the casing, the flanges of the leg covering the open side of the casing extending over the edges of the casing adjacent said open side, said thereof and latter flanges having lugs at their inner sides and the sides of the casing adjacent theopen side having recesses for receiving the lugs for normally holding said rack in position within the casing.

6. In a device of the class described, a casing open. at one side and also provided at anotherside of the casing with a transverse dispensing opening, and a U-shaped rack slidably mounted in the casing through the open side thereof, one leg of the rack normally closing said open side, the lateral sides of the leg covering the open side of the casing having inwardly extending flanges extending over the edges of the sides of the casing adjacent the open side thereof, said flanges having at their inner sides inwardly extending lugs and the sides of the casing adjacent the open side having recesses for receiving the lugs for normally holding said rack in position within the casing.

7. In a device of the class described, a casing open at one side and also provided at another side of the casing with atransverse dispensing opening, a U-shaped rack slidably mounted in the casing through the open side thereof, one leg of the rack normally closing said open side, the transverse cross sections of the legs and the connecting portion of said legs being channel shaped with'the flanges thereof extending toward the open middle portion of the rack, said rack being adapted to receive napkins or the like between the legs and the connecting portion of the legs, said napkins of the like being adapted to be retained in the rack by the flanges at the forward side thereof and adapted to be withdrawn from the rack through the dispensing opening of the casing, a plate positioned within the rack and extending transversely between the legs thereof behind the napkins or the like, a leaf spring secured at its lower end to the lower portion and back side of the plate and extending upwardly and backwardly at an angle with respect to the plate, and a transverse member secured to the upper end of the spring and engaging at its ends the inwardly extending flanges at the back portion of the legs of the rack.

8. In a device of the class described, a casing openat onevertical side and provided with a dispensing slit along the upper margin of an adjacent side, a paper napkin supporting rack insertible sidewise into said casing through said open side and arranged to dispose the paper napkins supported thereby with their upper margins in registration with said slit, said rack including a wall portion arranged to close the open side of said casing, and interlocking means supported from said wall portion and engageable with the adjacent margins of said casing, and yieldable means carried by said rack disposed so as to bear particularly against the upper margins of said napkins and thereby causing the upper margin of the outermost napkin to protrude said slit, and yieldable means carried by said slightly from said casing. v rack disposed so as to bear particularly 9. In a device of the class described, a oasagainst the upper margins of said napkins ing open at one vertical side'and provided and thereby causing the upper margin of the 5 With a dispensing slit along the upper margin outermost napkin to protrude slightly from 7 of an adjacent side, a paper napkin supportsaid casing. ing rack insertible sidewise into said casing In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set through said open side and arranged to dismy hand at- Los Angeles, California this th pose the paper napkins supported thereby day of May, 1930.

With their upper margins in registration with v EVANGEL HAVELES.

3o 7 it v 45 y a i i so i 65 V a V 

